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Russell Westbrook
|+ colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 125%; color:#000000; background-color:clear"|' ' |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"| Westbrook during a Thunder game in Jan 2018. |- |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Full name' |Russell Tyler Westbrook |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Born' | Long_Beach,_California Long Beach, California] |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Nationality' | American |- Physical stats |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Listed height' | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Listed weight' | 200 lbs (91 kg) |- Professional basketball career |- No. 0 – Houston Rockets |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Position' |Point guard |- NBA |- |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'NBA Draft' | 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"| Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'Playing career' |2008–present ( years) |- High school/College basketball career |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'High School' |Leuzinger (Lawndale, California) |- | style="vertical-align: top;"|'College' |UCLA (2006-2008) |- |- Career history |- |2008–2019 |Oklahoma City Thunder |- |2019–present |Houston Rockets |- Career highlights and awards |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: left"| *1x NBA Most Valuable Player (2017) *8× NBA All-Star (2011–2013, 2015–2019) *2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016) *2x All-NBA First Team (2016–2017) *5× All-NBA Second Team (2011–2013, 2015, 2018) *NBA All-Rookie First Team (2009) *All-Pac-10 Third Team (2008) *Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (2008) |} Russell Westbrook III (November 12, 1988) is an American basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. Westbrook played high school basketball for Leuzinger High School, then played two years in college at UCLA before declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft. He was first rookie that who drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, which relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City one years after the draft. So far in his career, Westbrook has been a two-time All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team, and a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Westbrook represented the United States in the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey, where he won a gold medal. He also won a gold medal with the national team at the 2012 Summer Olympic. He is known for his breakout season where he averaged a triple double. He is one of the two players to average double the other being Oscar Robertson. He averaged a triple double this past season as well. Early Years Westbrook was born in Long Beach, California to parents Russell and Shannon Horton. He has one younger brother, Raynard, and has said that he admires former Los Angeles Lakers great Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Growing up in Lawndale, Westbrook was a childhood friend of Khelcey Barrs, a talented young small forward who had been attracting interest from major college basketball schools as a 6-foot-6, 200 pound high school sophomore. However, Barrs collapsed and died from cardiomegaly after playing a series of late night basketball games in 2004. Westbrook entered Leuzinger High School as an unheralded 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman with size 14 shoes, not starting on the varsity team until his junior year. He did not receive his first college recruiting letter until the summer before his senior year. Westbrook eventually reached his adult height at 6'3" that same summer. He led the team to a 25–4 overall record and to a CIF-SS Div. I-AA quarterfinal playoff appearance during his senior year. He averaged 25.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.3 assists. He also connected on 57 three-pointers and made 76.0 percent of his free throws. He collected 14 double-doubles, scored 30 or more points on eight occasions and registered a career-best 51 points at Carson on January 6, 2006. He did not attract too much attention from top college basketball programs until Ben Howland offered him a scholarship to play for the UCLA Bruins after Jordan Farmar declared for the NBA Draft. High School ... College UCLA In his two years of playing for the UCLA Bruins, Westbrook wore number 0. In his freshman year Westbrook backed up Darren Collison and was primarily used as a defender and energy player off the bench due to his athleticism and lack of passing and shooting skills. In his freshman year Westbrook averaged 3.4 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 36 games. After Darren Collison was injured, Westbrook's role on the team expanded. Westbrook saw his minutes increase significantly, and he finished the season playing in 39 games, starting in 34 of them. In the year Westbrook averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals. The team advanced to the Final Four each year, losing to Florida in 2007, 76–66. In the game, Westbrook played 8 minutes, scoring two points. In 2008, they lost 78–63 to the University of Memphis, who were led by Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey. In the game, Westbrook scored 22 points, to go along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. At UCLA, Westbrook played basketball with several NBA players. In his sophomore year Westbrook was named All-Pac-10 Third Team and won Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. At UCLA, Westbrook played with Kevin Love, who was also his roommate, as well as Darren Collison, Arron Afflalo and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. After two years at UCLA, Westbrook decided to enter his name in the 2008 NBA draft. NBA career Draft In a press conference on April 17, 2008, Westbrook announced his intention to leave college to enter the 2008 NBA Draft. He was taken fourth overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, immediately after his college teammate, Kevin Love, who was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies. Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2019) 2008–09 NBA season He was selected 4th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and to be the first rookie as picked by the Oklahoma City Thunder due to sale of team and relocation. He signed with the team on July 5, 2008 along with D. J. White. He played with fellow Bruin Earl Watson on the Thunder team. Westbrook was named the Western Conference Rookie of the month for December and February. In December, Westbrook averaged 15.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. In February, Westbrook averaged 20.6 points, 5.9 assists, and 6.1 rebounds. On February 1, 2009, Westbrook scored 34 points in an overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. He made 7 of 18 field goals and 20 of 22 free throws. His 20 free throws were the most by a Kings opponent since the franchise relocated to Sacramento, California. He was also a candidate for the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest but lost in fan voting to Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers. On March 2, 2009 Westbrook recorded a triple double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He was the first rookie to do so since Chris Paul in the 2005–06 season, and the third rookie player in Sonics/Thunder franchise history: Art Harris 1968–69 and Gary Payton in 1990–91. He finished fourth in the 2008/09 NBA Rookie of the Year voting behind Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), O. J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) and Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets). Westbrook was named to the NBA's all-rookie first team, along with fellow UCLA classmate Kevin Love, who was named to the second team. 2009–10 NBA season In his second year the Thunder made a huge turnaround from their first season, qualifying for the playoffs with a 50–32 record. During the season Westbrook averaged 16.1 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.9 rebounds. Westbrook became a significantly better passer; his improvement in the passing department was instrumental in the Thunder's turnaround. The Thunder were eliminated by the eventual world champion Los Angeles Lakers. In the series Westbrook stepped up his play, averaging 20.5 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. 2010–11 NBA season On November 12, 2010, his 22nd birthday, Westbrook recorded 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers. Fourteen days afterward, on November 26, Westbrook scored 43 points, to go with 8 rebounds and 8 assists, against the Indiana Pacers. On November 26, 2010, Westbrook scored 43 points against the Indiana Pacers. Westbrook was chosen as a Western Conference reserve for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. On December 1, 2010, he scored 38 points with 9 assists and achieved a new career-high of 15 rebounds in a triple-overtime win over the New Jersey Nets, a game played without Thunder co-star Kevin Durant due to injury trouble. Westbrook finished the season improving in just about every statistical category, averaging 21.9 points, 8.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. Westbrook was named to the All-NBA Second Team for his strong year. The Thunder finished the season at 55–27, eventually losing to the eventual world champion Dallas Mavericks. Throughout the playoffs, Westbrook averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds. 2011–12 NBA season On January 19, 2012 Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a 5 year $80 million extension. On February 19, 2012, he scored 40 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets. On March 23, 2012, Westbrook scored a career-high 45 points in a double overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves 149–140. Westbrook was again voted to the All-NBA Second Team and was selected to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. The Thunder reached the 2012 NBA Finals, but lost in five games to the Miami Heat. In Game 4 of the finals Westbrook scored a playoff career high 43 points while shooting 20/32 from the field in a loss. 2012–13 NBA season ... 2013–14 NBA season ... 2014–15 NBA season ... 2015–16 NBA season In the 2015-16 season, Westbrook and Kevin Durant lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the Golden State Warriors in a 7 game series. 2016–17 NBA season In the 2016-17, Westbrook had the greatest season in his career and perhaps one of the greatest in league history. Westbrook averaged a triple double with 30 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds and leading his OKC team to a 47-35 record. He then won the Most Valuable Player Award later on in June 2017. Houston Rockets (2019–present) On July 11, 2019, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul, two first-round picks, and some pick-swaps. International career Senior national team In 2010 he took part in the FIBA World Championships held in Istanbul, Turkey. He played a pivotal role off the bench with his hustle and energy. USA won gold for the first time since 1994. Westbrook later played at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he won a gold medal. Player profile Westbrook is a point guard. Westbrook has established himself as an elite athlete who constantly attacks the basket. When attacking the basket, Westbrook is also known for being able to pull up for the medium range jump shot or pass it out to an open teammate. Westbrook is capable of initiating the pick and roll, averaging 6.8 assists per game throughout his first four seasons. At 6 feet 3 inches, Westbrook is an above average rebounder, averaging 4.7 rebounds throughout his first four seasons. Westbrook is constantly able to get to the free throw line, contributing to the average of 19.0 points per game throughout his first four seasons. A minor weakness cited in Westbrook's ability is his three-point percentage; he has averaged .289 on three-point field goal percentage for his first four seasons. NBA career statistics Regular season Playoffs Triple-doubles Category:Born in 1988 Category:Basketball players at the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four Category:Basketball players at the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four Category:Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:NBA All-Star participants Category:Oklahoma City Thunder players Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Olympic medalists in basketball Category:Point Guards Category:Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Category:Shooting Guards Category:UCLA Alumni Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Players who wear/wore number 0 Category:Houston Rockets players